Saying no to ‘Say No’ campaigns – Tackling Thailand’s plastic bag problem

[rooster59]

Saying no to ‘Say No’ campaigns – Tackling Thailand’s plastic bag problem

By The Thaiger

 

 

Some timid but long overdue steps are now being taken towards reducing Thailand’s plastic waste. Baby steps to start with but there is no doubt that the issue has now entered the Thai national psyche. In reaction, so far, Thai businesses have, for the most part, made only cursory PR efforts at tackling the bigger problem but, again, it’s a start.

 

Take, for example, a large Thai shopping centre chain proudly announcing that it will ‘ask’ customers once a month if they really want a plastic bag for their shopping. Useless. Meanwhile the plastic bags continue to walk out of their shops by the millions every month (including on the ONE day) and end up as single-use plastic bags filling up the limited land-fills or swishing around the surrounding seas. Their ‘alternative’ is to sell expensive canvas bags to shoppers, for 200-400 baht.

 

The government meanwhile is dithering with the issue of plastic waste, with no concrete laws or solutions that will have any long-term impact. Even with the clear and present danger of air pollution in many regions, including the capital, there has been finger-pointing and head-shaking but no useful campaigns or changes of laws that will have a useful or sustainable affect on improving Thailand’s air quality.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/plastics/saying-no-to-say-no-campaigns-tackling-thailands-plastic-bag-problem

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2019-03-02

[Seismic]

Well, first of all I would disagree with the "sell expensive canvas bags for 200-400 baht". Tops sell well made long lasting bags very cheaply, and often has promotions where they are free if you spend more than 800 baht shopping. I totally agree with the rest though, instead of asking people to go without, force them to go without. There were no plastic bags in stores in my youth and it wasn't a great hardship, everyone brought their own.

[Sir Dude]

No reason why at these large shopping malls they can't give out biodegradable bag in the same fashion as present and just spread the extra cost over everything they sell. I doubt anyone would really notice/mind if your tin of tuna cost 43 baht instead of 42, the clothing item had an extra 10 baht on it to cover the biodegradable bag cost that it goes in or your tube of toothpaste was one baht more expensive if this was the reason why. Maybe nothing is done because of the same old opaque industry mafia's unwillingness to change anything as vested interests say "No!" 

[Vacuum]

21 minutes ago, Sir Dude said:

No reason why at these large shopping malls they can't give out biodegradable bag in the same fashion as present

Thais would still burn them in their backyards, same as the present bags. What's the difference?

Edited March 2, 2019 by Vacuum

[55Jay]

We make an effort to keep reusable bags in the car, motorbike seat and in the kitchen but often brain fart and wind up not using them.  Again the other day, went for lunch and walk about in the Mall, visit the supermarket on the way out...... got to check out...... bags were out in the car, so we used their plastic instead.    I felt badly and had the bagger kid consolidate some items, reducing to 4 bags instead of 5.

[mok199]

Thailands biggest problem is the street vendors using foam and plastics.....its not oncomon to see one individual purchase using 2 large foam containers, and 5-8 plastic bags ,and if they are buying lunch for an entire office ,it is criminal how much plastic and foam is used...this practice MUST END to make any difference in the plastic and foam battle..

Edited March 2, 2019 by mok199

[Odysseus123]

"Some timid but long overdue steps.."

 

Oh my gawd-what a larf!

 

[Benmart]

I cannot control what others do. I carry two, compact reusable bags with me and "Mai sai tung" at the register. All the blabbing going on is worth nothing unless the blabbers have the authority and power to make countrywide change.

[The Stranger]

It's not just about shoppers, plastic is distributed in various forms, bowls, forks & spoons, straws, food packaging... since most of thais are street food addicted, the take away should be taken into consideration and plastic stuff replaced with biodegradable materials...

[wpcoe]

I did notice using the self-checkout kiosk at Tops (Silom Complex) that there was an entry for a store-provided bag.  Granted, for now it shows as zero cost to the customer, but at least the programming is in place to start charging for the bags.

 

I noticed a similar entry on my receipt from Krispy Kreme.

[connda]

When retailers stop purchasing plastic bags to give to customers then the problem is resolved.  Customers will use whatever is handed to them.  Retailers aren't going to stop using plastic due to the cost - plastic is the cheapest solution.  So any "No Plastic Day" campaign is simply disingenuous PR.  At this point the government should just step in and say, "Enough, no more plastic!", and that will be that.  But that requires cajones which most politicians lack. So don't hold your breath.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 2, 2019 by connda

[connda]

31 minutes ago, wpcoe said:

but at least the programming is in place to start charging for the bags.

Charging for bags is just an incentive for retailers to keep using bags - it adds to their profit margin.  So they will happily purchase plastic bags from the Petro-chemical suppliers and charge you for their use.  That's putting a band-aide  on a bullet wound.  And governments are happy to do the same as a plastic bag 'tax' adds to the government coffers.  Yep, governments and businesses will pat themselves on the back for helping "solve the problem" though taxes and surcharges, both which do nothing to discourage the growth of the use of plastic in the retail sector or to discourage the manufacture of single-use plastic products in the Petro-chemical sector.  It just creates a disingenuous "Feel Good" moment that Big Business execs and government officials can leverage in their fake PR War on Plastic.  But at the end of the day, it's all simply bunk.  

 
The only sane solution is for the government to grow a spine and ban them entirely.  The 'free markets' aren't going to stop using them by choice; customers aren't going to stop using them by choice. Heck, if Kenya and Rwanda can ban them, Thailand can too.  There just has to be the will to do so. But there isn't - that the current reality.

[Saladin]

For every difficult question there is always a simple answer - and it's always wrong. Just banning plastic bags is not the solution. No bags at all is impractical, paper bags are not strong enough and fall to pieces when wet. If man can send space ships to far flung galaxies, surely we can develop a low cost biodegradable alternative to plastic as a material, even if it costs a little more.

[Sir Dude]

5 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Thais would still burn them in their backyards, same as the present bags. What's the difference?

Yes, you're right, the morons would still do that and you wouldn't be able to fix that unless you banned everyone with an IQ of under 100 from procreating...but it has to be a step in the right direction and better than the monstrous things they give out willy-nilly now that take 100 odd years to decompose if they find their way to a land fill site.

[Longcut]

6 hours ago, Seismic said:

Well, first of all I would disagree with the "sell expensive canvas bags for 200-400 baht". Tops sell well made long lasting bags very cheaply, and often has promotions where they are free if you spend more than 800 baht shopping. I totally agree with the rest though, instead of asking people to go without, force them to go without. There were no plastic bags in stores in my youth and it wasn't a great hardship, everyone brought their own.

Makro doesn't supply bags. They will sell you one though and they are plastic. Other than that, if you don't bring a bag or box then you just have to stack the stuff on the seat or in the trunk (boot) or the back of the truck.

[KMartinHandyman]

Tops has one “green checkout” line where I’m located. You bring your own bag or use there old school brown paper bag (which I was happy to see again). There’s no plastic bags in that lane.

[RJRS1301]

4 hours ago, mok199 said:

Thailands biggest problem is the street vendors using foam and plastics.....its not oncomon to see one individual purchase using 2 large foam containers, and 5-8 plastic bags ,and if they are buying lunch for an entire office ,it is criminal how much plastic and foam is used...this practice MUST END to make any difference in the plastic and foam battle..

You buy recyclable /biodegradable bamboo bowls/forks/spoons, considering the amount of bamboo around why has this industry not taken off,

Get rid of the foam and plastic  

[sfokevin]

The Government should impose a 5 baht tax on every plastic bag stores give out... The proceeds given to local groups who have made efforts to clean up their commnities ...

[Orton Rd]

The photo is Sainsburies plastic bags at 5p a go, never knew they had branches i Thailand

[canopy]

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Their ‘alternative’ is to sell expensive canvas bags to shoppers, for 200-400 baht.

 

Canvas? Baloney! All of the alternative bags I have seen for sale are made of some combination of polyester, nylon, and other plastics. These create all the same problems with factory pollution and disposal as one use bags. What a cruel joke they play on the people.

 

[hotchilli]

If I ever say no to a vendor or shop assistant that I don't want a plastic bag they look totally confused!

I have a large material tote type bag that I take to my local Lotus lek or CJ store, I kindly offer them the bag & say put everything in there please.

They start to singularly wrap everything in small plastic bags, to which I say no.... it's okay just put everything in this bag, unwrapped it's okay!

They look at me as some sort of alien causing trouble!

 

[kannot]

i get thousands but when the  cupboards  full i ether  burn them or throw em in the hedgerows.........i  like to assimilate

[kannot]

8 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

If I ever say no to a vendor or shop assistant that I don't want a plastic bag they look totally confused!

I have a large material tote type bag that I take to my local Lotus lek or CJ store, I kindly offer them the bag & say put everything in there please.

They start to singularly wrap everything in small plastic bags, to which I say no.... it's okay just put everything in this bag, unwrapped it's okay!

They look at me as some sort of alien causing trouble!

 

funny  story 2  days ago in homepro waiting at the check in 1  person in front almost finished, im in no  hurry but the store guy shows me the next till is empty, i cant be bothered to wheel the trolley round and am  happy  to wait. He  comes up and  tells  me, I say its  ok  ill wait here, he then tells me again and grabs  my  trolley, I stick my  foot  on the wheel which comes to an abrupt  halt to stop him, the  look was priceless,  but im pretty sure he got the message. Some of those store  staff really are  bossy tawts at the checkouts

[Classic Ray]

I think a parallel path should be followed on finding a way to separate and recycle the plastic bags and containers from the food and waste they contain.

 

in a mad moment I am thinking it could be heated and mixed with material to provide road foundations or surfacing. That material could be old tyres that also have become a disposal problem. 

 

It it just needs a big grinder, powered by a methane gas generator from the rotting food, which can also be used for heating the residue. 

 

Machines to to do this already exist but need forethought and planning to obtain and operate, qualities not much in evidence in government here.

[quadperfect]

Villa market lost my buisness because they stoped giving plastic bags. 

I went there for convienience and payed more for everything than any other stores.

Not any more. Now i go to any shop that still gives plastic bags .

[55Jay]

13 minutes ago, kannot said:

i get thousands but when the  cupboards  full i ether  burn them or throw em in the hedgerows.........i  like to assimilate

Was out on my daily dodge the soi dogs push bike ride today.  On return, just outside my moo baan entrance, old boy and his wife were just finishing dumping rice and food bits out for the local pack of mangy soi dogs.  He was shaking the last bits out of his plastic bag, and then threw the bag in the bushes along with the rest of them, satisfied he'd done his good deed for the day. 

[impulse]

8 hours ago, Seismic said:

There were no plastic bags in stores in my youth and it wasn't a great hardship, everyone brought their own.

 

We cut down entire forests to feed the need for paper bags before plastic became ubiquitous.

 

Last month, I walked 3 miles of beach in Texas, land of conspicuous consumption and plastic bags out the wazoo.  Not a single plastic bag on the entire 3 mile stretch.  Just confirms my contention that Thailand doesn't have a "plastic bag problem".  They have a waste disposal problem.

 

 

[55Jay]

43 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

We cut down entire forests to feed the need for paper bags before plastic became ubiquitous.

 

Last month, I walked 3 miles of beach in Texas, land of conspicuous consumption and plastic bags out the wazoo.  Not a single plastic bag on the entire 3 mile stretch.  Just confirms my contention that Thailand doesn't have a "plastic bag problem".  They have a waste disposal problem.

And a people/parenting problem. 

[impulse]

1 minute ago, 55Jay said:

49 minutes ago, impulse said:

Just confirms my contention that Thailand doesn't have a "plastic bag problem".  They have a waste disposal problem.

And a people/parenting problem. 

 

Littering is all part of the waste disposal problem.  But I'm old enough to remember a horrible littering and pollution problem "back home" before the government stepped in, increased the littering fines and actually enforced the rules.  As tempting as it is to believe that the folks back home are more environmentally aware (another topic for another day), it was the $500-$2,000 littering fines that were effective at reducing the litter.

 

[55Jay]

Just now, impulse said:

Littering is all part of the waste disposal problem.  But I'm old enough to remember a horrible littering and pollution problem "back home" before the government stepped in, increased the littering fines and actually enforced the rules.  As tempting as it is to believe that the folks back home are more environmentally aware (another topic for another day), it was the $500-$2,000 littering fines that were effective at reducing the litter.

I was thinking the very same when I typed that. 

 

Recall US Government "training" campaigns about littering in the 70s (the Native American shedding a tear commercial), helmets, and the "Make it Click" seat belt campaigns, over many years, finally seeped into the collective conscious.  I still remember spitting a piece of chewing gum out onto the city sidewalk when I was about 6, and my Mom got right on my ass - made me pick it up and put it in the bin (there was a bin....).